The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-07-05
FRENCH ARMY AFFAIRS.
How the Forces Would Get 20 the
German Frontier.
Paris Correspondents New York Times.l

before the National Legislature IN
various shapes for sixteen years, they
did not hesitate to vote, almost with
SDut debate, the appropriation of
4.945,500 francs asked for that expert
ment of mobilization which is TO be
the great feature Of next autumn'S
grand maneuvres. General Boulan-
ger may not be the man who will
superintend the operation, but who
ever nav be the chosen commander
for that business. all political parties
are disposed to bury their hatehets
temporarily TO see by the proposed
trial whether the arrangements made
are really as they are represented,
4 such as 10 guarantee d prompt con-
centration of the national forces when
needed The present French military
organization places paper-near-
" two millions OF men at the disposal
of the War Minister in the event of q
conflict with any great European
power. and taking into account all
accidents, we may estimate that
!. France can surely reckon on 100000
soldiers, able bodied and drilled. who
can be opposed TO the enemy in the
first line. These numbers are quite
adequate to the defense Of French
territory against invasion, provided
AFy can be properly utilized is
to'Say, provided they can be brought
promptly and in good condition upon
the theater OF war, and this Is the
SprOblem Of which Germany, as well
: as France, Is interested in the solu-
ton
That great authority, Jominl, de-
fines strategy as 1.-The art OF concen-
trating in greater strength than ones
adversary at any given point And
by strength he means not only men.
but horses, artillery, war material and
provisions, for which q judicious use
Of means Of transportation Is the prin-
clpal element OF success, i eOnsidera
ton, indeed. Of such paramount i'm
pOrtance that IN all future wars it Is
no exaggeration 10 predict victory 10
the particular belligerent which shall
first get into the field Napoleon l,
allgding 10 the rapidity OF movements
Of MS veteran armies, has said lat he
won his greatest battles thanks TO the
legs Of his soldiers. Had Napoleon l
lived IN our times, with q net work Of
Nwell-Organized strategic railways at
his disposal, he would have gained
them with the steam Of his locomo-
tives. Now. by the law Of the oath of
July, 1873, on the general orgsnizs-
ton Of the army, all the lines, with
their rolling stock and personnel. are
placed at the orders Of the War Min
lister Immediately after the announce
mentof hOstilities. Everything, from
that moment and so long as he judges
Necessary. Is under his absolute con-
troll; all passenger and freight traffic
Is interrupted. and even the mail ser
vice may be suspended, should 1t in
terfere with the needs Of mobilization.
The transport Of troops by rail Is di
vided into three parts-their embark
Sstion, their transportation. properly
10 called. and their Decentralization.
The embarkatiUu and Decentralization
Of the men are extremely easy opera
tions which can be rapidly managed
But not so IS It for horses, artillery,
ammunition. and stores, Of all kinds.
TO provide for which the different rail
way companies have been obliged to
construct, at all the principal stations,
platforms qEajs-One meter above the
ground and on q level with the floors
Of their wagons, with which they are
in communication by means Of a spe
eies Of draWbridge.
Each train Of war material number
from 30 to 20 carriages, and as each
- carriage Is Z meters, nearly y feet,
y the total length of 2 train dc material
nav be Of 80 meters OF about $50
meters. In addition to these there
are at several stations and principally
on the Eastern line Nancy, Metz,
STasburg- special platforms built
outside Of the depots, and destined
exclusively to troops IN case Of mObI-
Iization. having an extentIOn Of 400
meters. over 1900 feet Finally, all
the companies are required to have
on hand a certain number Of rGmpss
mobiles movable inclined planes, to
be used for the loading or unloading
of material at any point necessary.
According to regulations, each third
class carriage should transport 81
ma with their arms and knapsacks,
all every freight wagon IS, while the
50 called stable-Wagons accommodate,
each. s light cavalry horses, with their
saddles and forage, and 2 men Mill
tsry wagons and war material are
carried on trucks Given, then. that
a military train 5 composed of, on an
average, 40.earriages, you can calcu-
late the number Of trains which will
be required to transport TO the from
tier. within q very limited time, S00,-
600 soldiers, 10000 horses and the
material necessary for such an army.
And it VIII also be apparent that the
transport service must be managed
with elockwork precision in order
tfst there be no hitch III the concen-